The Vatican Information Service is a news service, founded in the Holy See Press Office, that provides information about the Magisterium and the pastoral activities of the Holy Father and the Roman Curia...[+]

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Friday, September 6, 2013

Vatican
City, 6 September 2013 (VIS) – This morning in the Vatican
Apostolic Palace the Holy Father received in audience the president
of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Juan Evo Morales Ayma, who
subsequently met with Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone,
S.D.B., accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for
Relations with States.

The
colloquial discussions focused on the socio-economic and religious
situation of the country, and matters such as the fight against
social inequality and poverty.

Mention
was then made of the decisive contribution of the Catholic Church in
Bolivia in the fields of education, healthcare, support for families
and welfare provision for children and the elderly.

In
relation to the culture of encounter, the parties agreed on the
importance of good relations between the Ecclesial Community and the
State, especially regarding matters of common interest in the service
of the entire nation.

Finally,
the discussions turned to the international situation and, in
particular, the promotion of peace in Syria and the Middle East.

Vatican
City, 6 September 2013 (VIS) – Yesterday Archbishop Dominique
Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States, met with ambassadors
to the Holy See to express the concerns of the Holy Father and the
Vatican regarding the unstable situation of peace throughout the
world, with special attention to the Middle East and Syria in
particular.

The
prelate remarked that the Holy Father has on various occasions
publicly denounced the conflict in Syria which has so far claimed the
lives of over 110,000 civilians, caused innumerable casualties,
created four million refugees within the country, and provoked an
exodus of more than two million into neighbouring countries. “Faced
with facts of this type, one cannot remain silent”, he said, “and
the Holy See hopes that the competent institutions will clarify the
situation and that those responsible will be held accountable”.

Archbishop
Mamberti reiterated that it the cessation of violence is an “absolute
priority”, and made an appeal to the Parties not to remain “wrapped
up in their own interests, but to take with courage and decision the
path of encounter and negotiation, overcoming blind opposition”,
and added a second plea to the international community “to make
every effort to promote, without further delay, clear initiatives for
peace in the Nation, always based on dialogue and negotiation”.

He
emphasised the importance of “the necessity and urgency of respect
for human rights”, and “the urgent need for humanitarian
assistance for the majority of the population”. In addition he gave
thanks for the generosity of many governments in favour of the
suffering Syrian population.

Mamberti
underlined that the Catholic Church, for her part, is committed with
all the means at her disposal to the humanitarian assistance of the
population, Christian or not, and mentioned some matters that the
Holy See considers to be of importance in an eventual plan for the
future of Syria.

The
general principles he proposed for arriving at a just solution to the
conflict include: striving for the reinstatement of dialogue between
the Parties and for the reconciliation of the Syrian population; the
preservation of the unity of the country, avoiding the creation of
different zones for the various components of society; and
guaranteeing, alongside the unity of the country, also its
territorial integrity.

The
secretary also referred to the importance of asking all groups to
offer guarantees that, in tomorrow's Syria, there will be a place for
all, especially minorities including Christians. Mamberti mentioned
the importance of respect for human rights and religious freedom, and
he emphasised the equal importance of the concept of citizenship, on
the basis of which all, independently of their ethnic origin or
religious beliefs, are citizens of equal dignity, with equal rights
and duties.

He
concluded by drawing attention to the particularly worrying
phenomenon of “the growing presence of extremist groups in Syria,
often originating from other countries. It is therefore important to
urge the population and also opposition groups to distance themselves
from such extremists, to isolate them and to oppose terrorism openly
and clearly”.

Vatican
City, 6 September 2013 (VIS) – We inform our readers that, due to
the celebration tomorrow, 7 September, of a prayer vigil for peace
convoked by the Pope during last Sunday's Angelus, a special evening
edition of the VIS will be transmitted at the end of the event.